On 21 May, Irina Bokova spoke before a meeting with the Group of 77 and China at the UN Headquarters in New York.

At the meeting, hosted by H.E. Mr. Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the UN and Chair of the G-77 New York Chapter, the Director-General presented UNESCO’s vision for Post-2015, speaking before some 60 Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representatives to the UN.

“Our tasks today are clear: we must focus where needs are greatest, we must help countries accelerate towards 2015, and we must shape a new agenda to follow, building on achievements and tackling new challenges,” declared the Director-General.

“We must also learn the lessons of experience – and a core lesson is certainly that ‘one size does not fit all.’”

On this basis, the Director-General presented the vision of UNESCO for a bold, universal, aspirational post-2015 global development agenda, to work for poverty eradication, sustainable development and lasting peace.

Irina Bokova referred to the recent Decision of Member States, adopted by Member States at the 37th session of the General Conference, which provides clear guidance on the contribution of UNESCO across all its fields of competence – starting with education, and also with culture for sustainable development, and ranging to the sciences, the ocean, water and STI, and support to youth, as well as freedom of expression and access to information for good governance.

“This is a vision for a new approach to global efforts for poverty eradication, for sustainable development and for lasting peace, and I am determined for UNESCO to make this case in every consultation track and key moment for shaping the post-2015 agenda,” declared the Director-General.

In this respect, she highlighted the importance of the Third International Conference of Small Island Developing States, to be hosted by Samoa in September. The Director-General ended by thanking the countries of the G77 for their leadership and engagement throughout this process, as well as their support to UNESCO.

She noted that she looked forward to attending the 50th anniversary G77 Summit that will be celebrated in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on 14-15 June. “This will be a major moment to highlight the contribution made by G77 countries to shaping a more just, equal and peaceful world, for the past half century.”

The presentation of the Director-General was warmly received by the Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representatives, notably on education, on culture for development, on the sciences and on building knowledge societies.

H.E. Mr. Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the UN and Chair of the G-77, concluded the meeting, underlining the full support of the members of the G77 for the work of UNESCO and its contribution to supporting Member States for shaping the post 2015 development agenda.